Check out or check in files in a document library

If you want to make changes to a file in a SharePoint Online document library, but keep others from making changes at the same time, check the file out of the document library.

When you check out a file from a SharePoint Online document library, only you can edit it. You can edit the file either online in Office 365 or offline and save your changes as often as you like before checking the file back in. Once you're done making changes to the file, check it in from the library to upload your changes. You can discard your changes and undo the check-out if you change your mind.

Note: When you check out a file, nothing happens to it. The file is still stored in the library. It's just marked to show that you have exclusive editing rights until you check it back in. To edit it, you must download the document or edit it online. How you edit or update the file depends on the type of file. If it's a Word document, you can use Word in Office 365 or your desktop copy of Word. For a file that isn't an Office 365 format, download the file and use whatever editor you normally use for that format.

To exit classic SharePoint, close all your browser windows, and then log back in to Office 365.

Check in a file to a document library

Open the library, hover over the file you want to check in, and then click the check mark.

Click the ellipse (...) in the toolbar and then click Check In.

Note: You can also right click the file, click More, and then click Check In.

In the Check In dialog box, you can enter a comment, such as what you changed or added.

Click Check In when you're done.

If you try to check in a document that you haven't made changes on, you'll get a message that says an item or items weren't updated.

Check to be sure you saved changes on the document before checking in. Since SharePoint Online leaves the document checked out and nobody else can edit it, discard the check out if you don't want changes made. .

You can replace an existing document with a new one by following these steps.

In the document library, check out the file you want to replace.

Name the new file with the exact same name as the one you want to replace, and either drag it onto the library, or use the Upload button. Another option is to download the file, and overwrite it. For more info on uploading, see Upload a folder or files to a document library.

In SharePoint Online you will see a progress message that says the item wasn't uploaded on the tool bar, click the message.

In the Progress dialog, click Replace.

Check the file back in to replace the old file with the new file. If you change your mind, follow the discard a check out steps above.

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